Reclining chair



sept. 1931. Q E. FERRElRA 1,821,298

I REGLININGCHAIR F'led Nov. 26, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l nh ,MHH

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CHARLES E. FERREIRA Sept l, 1931. c. E. FERREIRA 1,821,298

RECLINING' CHAIR Filed Nov. 26, 1928 SheetsRShee'rl 2 l All l` Ri x lll/1441.111141(lllllgll/l man /Nl/E/VT/. CHARLES w. FERREIRA.

Patented Sept. 1, 1931 PATENT orf-FICE UNITED sTATEs CHARLES E. FERREIRA, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA RECLINING CHAIR Application led November 26, 1928. Serial No. 321,910.

tures of constructionand arrangement adapted to provide a more eiiicient chair.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved reclining 25 chair.

Another object is to provide an improved construction which is simple and' positive in its action and in which the operatingr parts are so constructed and arranged as to avoid any possible injury to an occupant or damage to his apparel.

A further object is to provide an improved construction whereby normally the back is positively held in a normal upright position, and which will facilitate the movement of the back of a desired reclining position.

Another object is to provide an improved construction having a positive manually operated actuating means.

A still further object is to provide an improved construction in which the parts are simple and rugged and which cannot ordinari'ly get out of order.

I accomplish these and other objects by means of the improved device disclosed in the drawings forming a. part of the present application wherein like characters of reference are used to designate similar parts throughout the drawings and specification and in which- Fig. 1 is a transverse section showing the inner side of one of the side frame members, the seat and upholstery of the back being in- /15 dieated in dotted lines;

Fig. 2 is a broken side elevation, partly in section of the back retaining means ,and indicating themanner in which the/same is moved to release the back;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of the chair frame showing in plan the arrangementof Athe back retaining means;

Fig. 4 is a broken vertical section of the chair trame showing a front elevation of the retammg means; and

Fi 5 is a front elevation of a detent mem er. y Y U Referring to the drawings, the'numeral 1V 1s used to designate a pair of side frame members each having leg portions 2 and an up- 60 wardly extending arm portion 3. -A back 4 is pivotally mounted as at 5 between the frame members 1, said back comprising a suitable frame upon which is applied .suitable holster-y 4 and provided with-downwardly 65 disposed extensions 6 at each side of the frame. The extensions 6 are arranged adja-V cent the inner sides of the frame members l and are formed at an angle to the back 4. i such that when the extensions are moved to a normal position against flanges 7 formed u ponthe inner sides of the rearward leg portions 2, the back 'will then be held in its normal upright positief: as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

A pair 01E ratchet bars 8 are pivotally connected tothe lower ends of the extensions 6, said bars being arranged to extend forwardly. 'along the sides of the frame members 1 past detent members 9 secured upon the inner sldes 80 of the frame members 1. The detent members 9 each consist of a hollow body portion having a slot 1l arranged to receive a bar 8, the lower portion of said body being shaped to form a detent 12 arranged to engage any 85 of a plurality of ratchet teeth 18 formed upon the bar 8. The teeth 13 are formed upon the lower edge of the bars 8 in downwardly disposed and forwardly faced position. The bars 8 are normally held by gravity in en- 90 gagement with the detents 12. However, springs 14 are mounted within the upper hollow portion of the body portions 11 to insure a 'positive engagement of the bars with the detents, and to prevent rattling. 95

The forward ends of the bars 8 extend past the detent members. Arms 16 are pivotally mounted adjacent the detent members 9 and Y arranged to engage the ends of the bars 8, said arms preferably .having rollers v17 00 mounted thereon to form rolling contact with the under side of the ends of the bars 8 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the arms are preferably secured u on a shaft 18 extendmg between the side tIi'ame members 1 and supported upon suitable bearings formed upon the detent members 9. A lever 19 is mounted in connection with the shaft 18 for actuating the same, said lever preferably being formed integrally with onc of the arms 16 in the form of a bell crank. The lever 19 extends upwardly adjacent the inner side of one of the side frame lnembers 1 and is provided with a slightly offset handle portion 21 adapted to provide a hand hold whereby the lever may be shifted to actuate the shaft 19 and arms 16. A guide 22 is secured upon the member l to limit the movement of the lever 19.

The detent member is provided with a rearward disposed extension 23 arranged to slidably engage a rod 24 extending through said extension and connected to an extension 26 carried by the extensions 6 of the back. Springs 27 are mounted upon the rods 24 andI` arranged to be compressed between the extensions 23 and 26 to exert a pressure operating to normally move the back to its normal upright position.

The detent member 9 is also provided with an extension 28 formed upon its lower end and arranged to form a support for a cross member 30 connecting opposite side frame members 1. A second cross member 31 is secured between the members 1 adjacent the front of the chair, said cross members 29 and 31 forming supports upon which a suitable upholstered seat 32 is supported.

In operation, the back 4 is normally held 1n substantially upright position by the sprinfrs 27, the normal position being defined by t e engagement of the extensions 6 with the flanges 7. The ratchet teeth 13 are so pos1- tioned that the face of the front tooth 13 of each bar 8 will be received in back of the detents 12 to normally prevent the back from being swung rearwardly from its normal position. The ratchet bars 8 are normally held in operative engagement with the detents by gravity, and tlie springs 14 prevent inadvertent disengagement and prevent rattling of the bars within the detent members.

When it is desired to move the back to a reclining position, the occupant of the chair moves the lever 19 rearwardly, thereby swinging the arms 16 upwardly and lifting the ratchet bars 8 out of engagement with the detents 12 as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2. As the occupant now rests his weight against the back 4, said back is swung. rearwardly upon its pivot mounting 5 against the pressure of the springs 27, said spring being compressed as the extension 6 is moved forwardly. When the back has been moved to the desired reclining position, the lever 19 the entire is released and the ratchet bar 8 permitted to reengage the detent, one of the more rearwardly disposed teeth of each bar 8 then engaging the detent to prevent further rearward movement of the back. The back will remain in the reclining position so lon as the weight of the occupant is supported t iereon. When the occupant removes l`is weight from the back of the seat, the springs 27 operate to return the seat back to normal position, the ratchet teeth 13 and the detent 12 being provided with inclined surfaces 33 and 34 respeetively whereby the rack may be moved freely rearwardly past the detent. The ratchet bars 8 are provided with ribs 36 formed upon the sides thereof to engage the sides of the detent member 9 and thereby limit the forward movement of the rack bars through the slots 11 and thus limit the rearward inclining of the seat back.

My improved chair is desi ned primarily for installation upon automobile busses and stages. In this connection, my improved chair construction is particularly advantageous as there are no outwardly protruding parts which might cause injury to occupantsk or damage to their apparel or luggage, and structure is compact and easily operated. The chair is of course not restricted to this particular purpose, but is useful for many other purposes.

Having thus described my invention what l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. A reclining chair comprising a pair of side frame members; a stationary seat; a back pirota'lly mounted between said side frame members for adjustment relative to the seat and having extensions project-ing downwardly from the pivot points of said back; toothed bars each pivotally connected at its rearward end to the adjacent xextension and movable longitudinally along the side frame members by a. pivotal movement of the back; guide members secured upon the side frame members and slidably engaging the forward ends of the bars, said members being provided with detents adapted to be engaged by the teeth of the bar to normallyprevent forward longitudinal movement of the bars and thereby prevent rearward pivotal movement of the bac t; means normally holding the bars with teeth thereof in engagement withthe detents: a shaft mounted upon the side frame members and extending therebetween; bar actuating arms secured upon the shaft adjacent the bars and movable to engage said bars; a hand lever secured upon theshaft and movable to manually move the arms simultaneously to disengage the bars from the detents to permit movement of the back and bars to desired positions, said lever extending upwardly in proximate relation to a side frame member for operation by an occupant seated in the chair in normal sitting position; 'a spring guide rod mounted in connectionwith the back extension and the guide member; and a compression spring mounted upon said rod and compressed therebetween, said springs normally pressing the extensions rearwardly to move the back to a normal upright position.

2.\In a reclining chair the combination with a seat and a pivoted back movable to reclining positions relative to the seat by the weight of an occupant imposed upon the .-back, of a control mechanism comprising a "the b ar and provided with a fixed detent adapted to be engaged by the teeth of said bar to hold the bar against longitudinal move ment and thereby secure the back against pivotal movement; an actuating arm pivotally mounted adjacent the bar and movable to engage and pivotally move the bar out of engagement with the detent; a hand lever pivotally mounted adjacent the seat and connected to the actuating arm for manually moving the bar to releasing position, said lever extending upwardly at oneside of the seat for operation by an occupant seated in the chair in normal sitting position; a spring guide rod connected to the back and to the guide member in spaced relation to the tooth bar; and a compression spring mounted upon said rod and compressible by a rearward movement of the back to a reclining position to return said back to normal upright position when relieved from the weight of an occupant. i

3. 'In av reclining chair having a. seat and a pivoted back movable to reclining positions relative to theseat by the weight of an occupant imposed upon the back, of control mechanism comprising a tooth bar pivotally connected to the back at each side of the seat and longitudinally movable relative to the seat i by'a pivotal movement of said back; a pair of guide members secured at the sides of the seat and slidably engaging the forward ends of the bars, said members being provided with tooth engaging detents adapted to engage the bars and hold the same against longitudinal movement and thereby secure the back against pivotal movement; a shaft mounted transversely of the chairV below the seat; bar actuating arms secured upon the shaft and movable therewith to engage the forward ends of the bars; and a hand lever secured upon the shaft at one side of the seat for manually moving the shaft and arms with a seat and a pivoted bach movable to reclining positions relative to the seat by the .weight of an occupant imposed upon the back,

of securing means for normally holding the back against rearward pivotal movement and normally permitting free forward movement of said back, said means being operable to vrelease the back for rearward movement thereof to a desired reclining position; a spring guide rod connected at one end to the back independently of the securing means; a stationary guide mounted upon the chair and engaging the opposite end of the rod; and a compression spring mounted upon the rod, said spring being compressed against the fguide by a rearward movement of the back to a reclining position to automatically return said back to normal upright position when relieved from the weight of an occupant.

5. A. control mechanism for reclining chairs comprising a pair of toothed bars mounted in spaced parallel relation at opposite sides of a chair below the seat of said chair and pivoted at their rearward ends to a pivoted chair back; guides engaging the lforward ends of the bars and provided with vfixed detents engaging rteeth of said bars to normally prevent longitudinal movement of the bars and seat back in one direction; a shaft mounted transversely of the chair adjacent the forward ends of the bars; actuating members secured u on the shaft and provided with arms mov. le to engage the forward en ds of the bars to move the same out of engagement with the detents; and a hand lever rigidly connected to the shaft and entending upwardly at one side of the chair to be grasped and ,manually operatedby a person seated in the chair in normal sitting position to move the toothed bars simultaneously out of engagement with their respective detents.

In witness whereof; I hereunto set my signature.

' CHARLES E. FERREIRA.

to bar releasing position, said lever extending upwardly at one side of th(` seat for operation by an occupant seated in the chair in normal sitting position.

4. In a reclining chair the combination 

